Academic Heraldry

The history of academic heraldry reaches back into the early days of the university. In England in the fourteenth century, the statutes of certain colleges forbade “excess in apparel” and prescribed the wearing of a long gown. Hoods were used to cover the head until replaced by the skull cap and later academic caps. When American colleges and universities decided to adopt some suitable system of academic apparel, it seemed best to agree on one that all might follow. Accordingly, there was held on May 16, 1895, at Columbia University, a conference of representatives of the boards of various interested institutions. From that meeting came a code of academic dress for the colleges and universities of the United States.

GOWNS

The academic gown for the associate and bachelor’s degrees has pointed sleeves and is designed to be worn closed. The gown for the master’s degree has an oblong sleeve, open at the wrist. The sleeve base hangs down in the traditional manner. The rear part of its oblong shape is square cut, and the front part has an arc cut away. It is designed this way so that it can be worn open or closed. The gown for the doctoral degree has bell-shaped sleeves and may be worn open or closed.

HOODS

Academic hoods are worn by recipients of advanced degrees. The master’s degree hoods are three-and-one-half feet in length and are lined with the official color or colors of the college or university conferring the degree, which at Utah State University are navy blue and white, displayed in a heraldic chevron. The doctoral hood consists of a larger and longer assemblage of institutional color draped over the recipient’s shoulders and falling well down the back. The binding or edging of the hoods is of velvet or velveteen, three inches wide for the master’s degree and five inches wide for the doctoral degree.

CAPS

Academic caps come in two forms: the traditional mortarboard (from Oxford) or square cap; and a soft cap that resembles an oversized beret (from Cambridge). The mortarboard used by Utah State University is worn with a tassel. The color of the tassels designates the graduate’s major field of learning, and gold tassels indicate doctors and the governing officials of institutions.

COLORS

For all academic purposes, including trimmings of doctoral gowns, edging of hoods and tassels of caps, the colors associated with the different academic disciplines are as follows:

• Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Maize • Arts, Brown • Business, Drab • Education and Human Services, Light Blue • Engineering, Orange • Humanities and Social Sciences, White • Natural Resources, Russet • Science, Gold-Yellow • School of Graduate Studies, Black • Associate and Integrated Studies Degrees, Black